The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka

 The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka

 

Bibliography:

Scieszka, Jon, and Lane Smith. 1989. The true story of the 3 little pigs. New York, N.Y., U.S.A.: Viking Kestrel.

ISBN: 0670827592

Plot Summary: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs is told from the point of view of the wolf, and begins with the wolf claiming his innocence for his involvement with The Three Little Pigs. He says that he “was making a birthday cake for his dear old granny” and that he had a “terrible sneezing cold [and] ran out of sugar”. Then, he goes to his neighbor which happens to be a pig who built his house out of straw. In the process, he has a sneezing attack and the house falls down, he “accidentally” eats the pig and then goes to his next neighbor, which is the pig’s brother. This pig made his house out of sticks and the wolf has another sneezing attack causing the house to fall down. He thinks the pig has died, and eats him. After this, he goes to the next pig’s house that is made of bricks. The pig upsets the wolf by talking about his grandmother, and he tries to get in the house but is unable to, and the cops arrest the wolf and put him in jail for eating the other two pigs. The wolf insists that he is innocent and just needed a cup of sugar.

Critical Analysis: This story is told from the point of view of the wolf and is a surprising variation of the classic tale, The Three Little Pigs. Throughout the text, the wolf is seen as the antagonist, however, he tries to be seen as the protagonist when he states that he was trying to “make a cake for his dear old granny” and “ran out of sugar”.  The plot remains simple and direct and is full of action when the wolf sneezes and blows down the pig’s houses. The initial setting is vague, but becomes quickly established when the wolf goes to the houses of the pigs. The illustrations in the text are vivid and imaginative with a touch of realism. The lines within the illustrations add depth to the overall look and feel of the book. The total composition of the book is arranged in a way that sets the mood in favor of the wolf’s story of blowing down, and eating the pigs on accident in search of a cup of sugar to make his grandmother a cake.

Review Excerpts:

·         From Publishers Weekly - "Designed with uncommon flair," said PW, this "gaily newfangled version of the classic tale" takes sides with the villain. "Imaginative watercolors eschew realism, further updating the tale." Ages 3-8.

·         From School Library Journal - Grade 1 Up--Victim for centuries of a bad press, Alexander ("You can call me Al") T. Wolf steps forward at last to give his side of the story. Trying to borrow a cup of sugar to make a cake for his dear old Granny, Al calls on his neighbors--and can he help it if two of them built such shoddy houses? A couple of sneezes, a couple of dead pigs amidst the wreckage and, well, it would be shame to let those ham dinners spoil, wouldn't it? And when the pig in the brick house makes a nasty comment about Granny, isn't it only natural to get a little steamed? It's those reporters from the Daily Pig that made Al out to be Big and Bad, that caused him to be arrested and sent to the (wait for it) Pig Pen. "I was framed," he concludes mournfully. Smith's dark tones and sometimes shadowy, indistinct shapes recall the distinctive illustrations he did for Merriam's Halloween ABC (Macmillan, 1987); the bespectacled wolf moves with a rather sinister bonelessness, and his juicy sneezes tear like thunderbolts through a dim, grainy world. It's the type of book that older kids (and adults) will find very funny.
-John Peters, New York Public Library

·         From Booklist - Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (1989) turned the favorite porkers' story upside-down by allowing the grossly misjudged wolf to tell his side of the story. Wiesner's latest is a post-modern fantasy for young readers that takes Scieszka's fragmentation a step further: it not only breaks apart and deliciously reinvents the pigs' tale, it invites readers to step beyond the boundaries of story and picture book altogether.

Connections/Activities:

·         Students can read multiple versions of the Three Little Pigs and create a Venn Diagram.

·         Students can perform a reader’s theater.

·         Students can explore point of view.

·         Students can write their own version of the three little pigs.

·         Students can change the ending of the story.

·         Students can examine the traditional tale of The Three Little Pigs before reading the story, and then create a foldable of the differences between the texts.

·         Have the students write a letter to the wolf.

·         Students can do an author study of Jon Scieszka.

·         Select other books by Jon Scieszka:

o   The Book That Jack Wrote – 978-0140553857

o   The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales – 978-0670844876

o   The Frog Prince, Continued - 978-0140542851

o   Squids Will Be Squids- 978-0142500408

·         Related Texts

o   The Three Little Pigs by James Marshall - 978-0448422886

o   The Three Little Aliens and The Big Bad Robot by Margaret McNamara -

    978-0375866890

o   The Three Little Pigs by Steven Kellogg - 978-0064437790

o   The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas- 978-0689815287

Personal Connections: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs has been a staple in my classroom library even before I became a teacher. I remember reading this story in Elementary school, and it is one of my favorite adaptations of The Three Little Pigs. I use this story when teaching point of view and when comparing fictional stories. My students love this book, and we have used it as a Reader’s Theater to practice reading fluency. I think this is a great book with many teaching points, and should be a staple in any language arts classroom.